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NAIROBI, Kenya — Militants set off two large explosions yesterday at a popular restaurant in the
Somali capital, Mogadishu, killing at least 15 people and wounding about two dozen, according to
Somali and U.N. officials.

The attack underscored the fragility of Somalia’s political environment, even as both the United
States and the Somali government have sought to portray the Horn of Africa nation as having entered
a new, more-stable era after more than two decades of chaos and lawlessness.

The blasts ripped off much of the roof of the Village restaurant, which was frequented by
government employees, journalists and students. It’s about a half mile from the presidential palace
and the National Theatre.Local media said a car bomb detonated first. Then, as people gathered at
the scene, a suicide bomber blew himself up.

“They attack the restaurants because they hate to see people peacefully spending time together,”
Mohamed Abdi, an Interior Ministry employee at the scene of the attack, told the Associated Press. “
They are committed to obliterating any sign of peace. Because of such attacks, it’s very hard for
the government to restore security in the near future.”

Somalia’s al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab militia, which has waged a deadly insurgency even after
being pushed out of Mogadishu in 2011 by African Union forces, asserted responsibility for the
attack.

“Government officials, military forces, workers and their security always meet here,” said an
al-Shabab spokesman, Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab. “We had targeted it even before today, and we shall
continue targeting it.”

Once a ghostly capital marked by front lines and no-go zones, Mogadishu is experiencing an
economic renaissance. With the help of millions of dollars flowing from the Somali diaspora, new
restaurants, hotels and other businesses have opened.Streets are lighted, residents frequent nearby
beaches, and domestic and international flights have expanded. Yet security remains a major
concern.